Checkmate: Viswanathan Anand to teach chess to Pune children through new venture

Emphasising the importance of having an academy Anand said, “We need to catch them young. Being a father of 6-year-old, I am certainly aware that kids need to be engaged in some activity and if we can’t give them the proper outlet, they will hang out on mobile phones. Learning chess at a young age helps them focus on studies.”

World Champion Viswanathan Anand, plays a game of chess with children during an event in Pune on Saturday.(Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

There have been talks about five-time World Champion GM Viswanathan Anand’s retirement and every time he has firmly denied it saying that he will take a call when to stop.

And even though he has started a new venture by opening a chess academy in Pune, he made it clear that he has no intentions to retire from playing and focus on coaching.

The legendary player was in the city to inaugurate his Viswanathan Anand Chess Academy in association with Child Centric Homes by Gera Developments in Kharadi.

Talking about his academy, he said, “The idea of having an academy kept bouncing in mind for a while but I wasn’t sure how much time I will be able to give for it. I have trained few players personally and have also attended few camps, but having a permanent academy is quite a different scenario.”

Emphasising the importance of having an academy Anand said, “We need to catch them young. Being a father of 6-year-old, I am certainly aware that kids need to be engaged in some activity and if we can’t give them the proper outlet, they will hang out on mobile phones. Learning chess at a young age helps them focus on studies.”

“Now learning chess involves more of an audio-visual element. The kids can watch live tournaments and discuss it. It’s always beneficial to learn with other kids as you can learn from others, from their doubts and from their perspectives.”

Though Anand will be associated with the academy, he won’t be in Pune on regular basis.“My role here will be mainly monitoring. I have been working with GM Abhijit Kunte and we have picked some best coaches to train the kids. I will try to find the best and advanced training methods and by depending on how students react, will keep modernising,” he said.

He also made it clear that as of now he has no intentions to expand the academy or start similar ventures in other cities, as of now.